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My Blog and I

My name is Diana. I am the blogger behind Offbeat Vagabond. I just
wanted something to help me rant on about things I love or don't quite
love. I am big on books, especially Urban
Fantasy, it is my favorite genre. Any Romance has to be Paranormal,
because love isn't natural without a gun and a beast involved. Although my tastes are very much expanding, I have discovered a love for Contemporary even BDSM (shocking!) I love
movies. Sci-fi/Fantasy/Horror/Action, pretty much anything as long as no
Romantic Comedies are involved (Katherine Heigl, you have been warned).
Music, TV, Wrestling are all my things as well (although I haven't been watching Wrestling as much as I used to). I am doing this for fun. I want to
write on a professional front, so blogging is a good stepping stone for
me. I just hope that stone doesn't have moss and I slip and break
something. So join me in my little piece of the Internet and remember,
it is normal to be abnormal

October Releases

Friday, July 20, 2012

Guest Post + Giveaway with Laxmi Hariharan

Welcome fellow Vagabonds! Please give a huge welcome to author Lazmi Hariharan. Her new book The Destiny of Shaitan that has just released. Hariharan is here with us today with a great post talking about how Western Science Fiction is actually inspired by Indian Mythology. So check out this very intriguing post and see how you can win a $15 Amazon Card!

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The Inspiration Games

“It was India which
invented the bow & arrow” my Dad blustered over the phone from Bombay, “remember Arjuna’s skill at archery? How he could concentrate till he
saw nothing else but the target and shoot it with unerring precision time after
time….” He had just returned from seeing the Hunger Games at his local
multiplex, when my weekly Sunday phone call had sparked off this conversation;
with him insisting that the cross-bow was an Indian invention. “Uh!
Dad,” I protested, “not everything in
science fiction comes from Indian mythology….” I was, as usual, embarrassed by
his well known theme of India shining and claiming ownership of emerging
trends. Yet his comment gave me pause for thought. I began to wonder if he had
a point?

Lord Rama with his bow from centuries ago!

Katniss in The Hunger
Games

Cut to a few years back, when, on one of my annual trips to Bombay, the
extended family had trooped off en masse to see Avatar in 3D at the brand
new IMAX
theatre in Bombay. I sat next to my father
enjoying his excitement as he leaned forward to perch precariously close to the
edge of the seat, fascinated by the incredible images flashing across the
cinema screen.

Avatar inspired by Indian mythology? Who
would have thought!

And as the scene with the Tree of Souls which has a neural
link to the Na’vi uniting them all as one, unfolded, he gasped in surprise
shaking his head; explaining to me later that Ayurveda the Indian system
of traditional medicine had a
very similar concept of unity. That, all living creatures are linked to
this planet and are one with Earth. The concept of blue people itself was
familiar as many Indian Gods are depicted in similar fashion.Flying chariots, Gods teleporting at will across dimensions, powerful weapons of war that could destroy entire armies, revolving discs & guided swords spewing fiery sparks which would return to their owners after hitting its target, illusions which could frighten without hurting, and the massive bow which only Rama could string to win the heart of
the beautiful Sita… Hmmm! I had seen these scenes countless times over the
years.

Tiina inspired by Goddess Uma (The Destiny of Shaitan)

Amar Chitra Katha(Indian
comic books) took over where my grandmother left off, yet what chance did a
teenager’s raging hormones stand against tight bodysuits, plunging necklines,
fanatical crime fighting and passionate love stories. With the first Superman movie I
was in love with caped crusaders – Spiderman, Legion of Superheroes(my
personal favourite) Green Lantern, Wonder Woman not to mention Tarzan&Phantom and much
later Conan
the Barbarian – I lived happily with them for a very long time. And then I
stumbled across the gaming world which is proud to borrow from Indian
mythology. Take for example Asura’s Wrath an action video game released
February 2012. According to the game’s producer Kazuhiro Tsuchiya, “Asura’s
Wrath takes elements from Hindu mythology and blends them with science fiction. In the game, Asura is a demigod fighting to reclaim his daughter from the
deities who kidnapped her and banished him from earth.”

Or for that matter Xena the Warrior Princess’trademark chakram which looks and acts
very similar to the famed sudarshan chakra (Lord Vishnu’s deadly weapon of
choice – a golden discus which cuts through the target and returns to owner.)

Xena's Chakra

VS.

Lord Vishnu's Chakra

Over the years I realised that Hollywood and the West have looked to
Indian mythology for inspiration. But time has come full circle, with a brave
new breed of Indian fantasy writers seeking to carry on the tradition of the
ancient epics. Check out the brilliant Ramayana 3392 AD from New York based Liquid comics and the seductive
Devi.

Do you have more
examples of western science fiction drawing from Indian mythology? Do let me
know.

Kindle bestseller The Destiny of Shaitan is a delicious blend of gods & humans, sacred & profane; a gripping ride offering a glimpse into your own power.

Partially set in a futuristic Bombay, this coming of age story is painted against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world.

When Tiina accompanies Yudi on a mission to save the universe from the ruthless Shaitan, she seeks more than the end of the tyrant; she seeks herself. Driven by greed and fear for his own survival,Shaitan bulldozes his way through the galaxy, destroying everything in his path. Tiina wants Yudi to destroy Shaitan, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Shaitan being killed by his son. But she finds that Yudi is hesitant to do so. The final showdown between Tiina, Yudi, and Shaitan has unexpected consequences, for Shaitan will do anything in his power to win the fight. The stakes are high and the combatants determined. Will Shaitan's ultimate destiny be fulfilled?

Release Date: March 17, 2012

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Laxmi Hariharan Bio:

Laxmi
Hariharan was born in India. She lived in Singapore and Hong Kong and is now
based in London. She is inspired by Indian mythology. When not writing, this
chai-swigging, technophile enjoys long walks in the woods and growing eye
catching flowers. Her debut novel The
Destiny of Shaitan is available on Amazon here:http://tiny.cc/szqsew

For everyone that leaves a comment on a post, you are entered to win a $15 Amazon Gift Card! So make sure to check out that schedule. Just leave your email address in the comments section. Good luck everyone and thank you!

Hi Diana,thank you for hosting me and for giving me this opportunity to reach your readers. This post carries within it the 'kernel' of my writing; its the culmination of my grandmum's narration to me of stories from Indian mythology and my fascination with futuristic, dystopian scenarios; the intertwining of these two disparate strands is here :) Hope your readers like it :) Laxmi

Due to the daily spam comments I have been getting lately and to avoid the annoying word verification, Anonymous comments are no more. I do not want bargains on bags, watches, jerseys, boots and other crap. Geez, they could at least spam me with book and movie stuff, I would be somewhat interested LOL! Thank you :D